Dumbbell Incline Rear Lateral Raise

Description

How to Do Dumbbell Incline Rear Lateral Raise

1. 1
   Setup

   Adjust an incline bench to about a 30-45 degree angle. Lie chest-down on the bench, allowing your arms to hang straight down with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.

2. 2
   Setup

   Ensure your feet are firmly planted on the floor for stability and your head is neutral, looking towards the floor.

3. 3

   Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, initiate the movement by contracting your rear deltoids to raise the dumbbells out to the sides.

4. 4

   Continue raising the dumbbells until your arms are roughly parallel to the floor, forming a 'T' shape with your body.

5. 5

   Slowly and with control, lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, maintaining tension in your rear deltoids throughout the eccentric phase.

Tips

• Focus on initiating the movement with your rear deltoids, imagining pulling the dumbbells out and back, rather than simply lifting them with your traps.
• Keep your elbows slightly bent but locked in that position throughout the movement to prevent your triceps from assisting and to keep tension on the rear deltoids.
• Control the eccentric (lowering) phase of the movement; don't let gravity just drop the weights, as this helps maximize muscle growth and control.
• Avoid shrugging your shoulders; keep your shoulders down and back to properly isolate the rear deltoids and prevent your upper traps from taking over.

Common Mistakes

• ×Using too much momentum or swinging the weights reduces the effectiveness of the exercise; focus on slow, controlled movements to isolate the target muscles.
• ×Raising the dumbbells too high, past parallel, often involves the upper traps and can strain the shoulders; stop when your arms are roughly parallel to the floor.
• ×Letting the elbows extend or bend excessively shifts tension away from the rear deltoids; maintain a consistent, slight bend in the elbows throughout the entire range of motion.